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While the first autonomous vehicles with at least modest self-driving capabilities are expected to reach dealers’ showrooms by decade’s end, overcoming motorists’ innate distrust of the concept could prove to be the biggest challenge ahead for automakers.

According to a survey of 1,000 adults conducted by ORC International for the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, only 18 percent of consumers queried said they’d purchase an autonomous vehicle. Why? Two-thirds admitted they wouldn’t feel safe being a driver in name only, while only 22 percent would feel confident allowing their loved ones to ride in a self-piloted car.

Obviously the notion of autonomous vehicles being inherently safer than human-piloted modes of transportation seems to be lost on the average motorist, who’s clearly nervous about the prospect of taking their hands off the wheel. Over 30,000 people are killed annually in crashes, with the overwhelming majority of them due to driver error. Unlike a human motorist, a self-driving car wouldn’t be temped to take unnecessary risks on the road and is unable of becoming lost in thought or otherwise dangerously distracted during a boring commute.

Nevertheless, Chubb's findings seem to validate our earlier hypothesis that leading-edge companies like Tesla and Google might be better able to lure affluent and tech-savvy early adopters to their own self-driving models more confidently than established upscale automakers such as Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz with conservative clientele, and mainstream makes like Nissan who’s customers might be both reluctant of the technology and too price sensitive to consider it.

Ironically, the Chubb report found that the same consumers would be overwhelmingly willing to spend the extra bucks on their next new-vehicle purchases to obtain what are essentially the building blocks engineers are assembling to create driverless cars.

For example, 88 percent of those surveyed said they’d pay extra for lane departure warning systems that signal a driver when the vehicle is inadvertently crossing highway lane markers (with some cars further having the ability to either “nudge” the car back into place via selective braking). Meanwhile, 77 percent said they’d be willing to spend extra for a forward collision warning system that can automatically apply the brakes to avoid or at least minimize the effects of a crash, with nearly 70 percent considering adaptive cruise control that maintains both a set speed and distance from the traffic ahead on their next car or truck.

What’s more, 33 percent of respondents said they’d buy a car with a self-parking system that automatically steers the vehicle into a spot with the driver only having to shift the transmission into reverse and modulate the brake pedal.

"Our survey results demonstrate that, even during an economic recovery period, consumers would pay for additional safety features in their next car, especially those that help protect themselves, loved one and pets by minimizing the potential for an accident," according to Chubb personal insurance worldwide auto manager Ray Crisci.

Perhaps one statistic that portends well for a future filled with autonomous vehicles is that only 13 percent of those surveyed said they’d be willing to take a nap while sitting behind the wheel of a self-driving car.